Behavioral Health Peer Specialist

Job Description:

Behavioral Health Peer Specialist

Description

The Position

This is a continuous filing exam. Next filing cut-offs are at 5:00 pm on:

6/9/26, 7/14/26, 8/11/26, 9/8/26, 10/13/26, 11/10/26, 12/8/26

Under general supervision, provides peer support such as sharing recovery stories, identifying wellness goals, and providing emotional support to consumers of behavioral health services and their families.

Please click one of the links below to learn more about the position:
Behavior Health Peer Specialist Job Flyer on Canva

Examples of Knowledge and Abilities

Knowledge of

• Applicable laws, rules and regulations related to behavioral health services
• Public and private agency services available for families, children, and adults with behavioral health and recovery challenges
• Crisis intervention techniques
• Needs and difficulties faced by ethnically diverse consumers and families/caregivers of consumers of behavioral health services
• Methods and techniques to communicate effectively with behavioral health consumers, families/caregivers, the community, and treatment/care teams
• Cultural and social factors affecting behavioral health and recovery
• Office procedures, methods, and equipment including computers and applicable software applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, databases, and other specialized applications related to area of assignment
• English usage, spelling, grammar, and punctuation
• Principles of effective customer service

Ability to

• Read and understand written and verbal rules, policies, and procedures
• Maintain client confidentiality
• Compose and maintain accurate and appropriate records of services provided
• Meet required timelines for referrals, follow-up, and coordination of care
• Establish and maintain cooperative, effective working relationships with clients, co-workers, other agencies, and the general public
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both verbally and in writing
• Analyze situations accurately and adopt an effective course of action
• Effectively organize and prioritize work assignments
• Interpret and apply applicable federal, state, and local laws, codes, and regulations
• Apply customer service skills, including the identification of customer needs and follow up to ensure customer commitments have been met

Employment Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

Currently or previously a consumer of behavioral health services (such as mental health or substance use), or a parent or family member/caregiver of a behavioral health consumer.

Note: If the word “experience” is referenced in the minimum qualifications, it means full-time paid experience unless the minimum qualification states that volunteer experience is acceptable. Part-time paid experience may be accumulated and pro-rated to meet the total experience requirements.

General Qualifications

Criminal History and Background Checks : The County may access criminal history information on candidates who have accepted a conditional offer of appointment for this class consistent with the provisions of Board of Supervisors Resolution No. 82-602, Personnel Policies, and applicable federal and state laws. The County shall not consider for employment any candidate who has been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor that relates to or impacts the candidate’s ability to perform the job duties of this class unless it is determined that mitigating circumstances exist. For purposes of accessing criminal history information, the candidate will be fingerprinted. A subsequent arrest notification may be obtained.

The County may also conduct a background check on the candidate prior to appointment to a position within this class. The background check may include personal and professional reference checks, credit history checks where authorized by Labor Code section 1024.5, Social Security Number verification, professional license/registration verification, military service information and driving history. Information obtained in the course of this background check will be considered by the appointing authority in the selection process. In obtaining such information, the County will comply with applicable consent and disclosure practices in the Fair Credit Reporting Act and the California Investigative Consumer Reporting Agencies Act.

License Requirement : A valid California Driver License, Class C or higher, shall be required at the time of appointment. Failure to obtain or maintain the appropriate California Driver License may constitute cause for personnel action in accordance with Civil Service Rules or applicable bargaining agreement. Individuals who do not meet this requirement due to disability will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Certification/Training Requirement : Incumbents in this class will be required to complete Federal or State required training and/or certification upon written notice from the appointing authority. Failure to obtain or maintain the appropriate certification or training may constitute cause for personnel action in accordance with Civil Service Rules or applicable bargaining agreement.

Child and Elder Abuse Reporting : Persons selected for employment in this class must, as a condition of employment, sign a statement agreeing to comply with Section 11166 of the California Penal Code and Section 15630 of the Welfare and Institutions Code relating to child and elder abuse reporting.

Physical Requirements : Positions in this class require the incumbents to be able to lift boxes of outreach materials or other items weighing up to 25 pounds without assistance.

Individuals who do not meet this requirement due to disability will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Working Conditions : Positions in this class require the incumbents to:

• Be exposed to emotionally disturbed or mentally ill persons and/or confrontational interpersonal situations.
• Work in dangerous, high crime areas of the community.
• Work during non-routine hours, including evenings, holidays, and weekends.
• Work outside in all types of climatic conditions including inclement, very hot or very cold weather.

Probationary Period

The probationary period for this classification is six (6) months.

Application and Testing Information

APPLICATION

Qualified applicants are encouraged to apply immediately. All applicants must complete and submit an online County of Sacramento employment application by 5:00 PM on the posted cut-off date. Click here to apply.

County of Sacramento

Department of Personnel Services

Employment Services Division

700 H Street, Room 4667

Sacramento, CA 95814

Phone (916) 874-5593; 7-1-1 California Relay Service

Email [email protected]

Inter-Office Mail Code: 09-4667

www.SacCountyJobs.net

• Employment applications and all documentation requested in this announcement must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on the cut-off date.
• Employment Services is not responsible for any issues or delays caused by an applicant's computer or web browser. Applicants will be automatically logged out if they have not submitted their applications and all documentation prior to 5:00 p.m. on the cut-off date.
• Your application should highlight all relevant education, training, and experience, and clearly indicate how you meet the minimum qualifications for the position as of the cut-off date.
• Application information must be current, concise and related to the requirements in this job announcement. You may only apply for this recruitment once. Duplicate and incomplete applications will be disqualified.
• A resume may be included with your application, however it will not substitute for the information requested on the application.

SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE

Applicants are required to provide a full and complete response to each supplemental question. The Supplemental Questionnaire is located in the tab marked "Supplemental Questions". Please be descriptive in your response.

Note: Responses of "See Resume" or "See Application", or copy and paste of work experience are not qualifying responses and will not be considered.

• Supplemental Questionnaires must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on the cut-off date. Employment Services is not responsible for any issues or delays caused by an applicant's computer or web browser. Applicants will be automatically logged out if they have not submitted their applications and all documentation prior to 5:00 p.m. on the cut-off date.
• The supplemental questions are designed to elicit specific information regarding a candidate's experience, education, and training. Responses should be consistent with the information on your application and are subject to verification.
• Please provide place of employment, pertinent dates, and concise, descriptive and detailed information for each question.
• If a job included responsibilities applicable to several questions, separate the different functions of the job to answer all the questions completely.
• Resumes or referral to the application or other questionnaire responses will not be accepted in lieu of completing each question.
• If you have no experience, write "no experience" for the appropriate question.
• For many individuals, it is more efficient to develop responses to the supplemental questions in a word processing document and then paste them into the final document to be submitted. Changes or corrections to your Supplemental Questionnaire cannot be made once your application packet has been submitted.
• If the Supplemental Questionnaire is used in the Formula Rate exam, failure to complete all of the questions or incomplete responses will result in a lower score. While scoring the Supplemental Questionnaire, the candidate's application and/or attachments will not be reviewed , therefore, a candidate's responses to the questions should be accurate, thorough, detailed, and complete.

FORMULA RATE EXAMINATION (Weighted 100%)

All candidates meeting the minimum qualifications by the cut-off date will have their Supplemental Questionnaire scored in the Formula Rate Examination.

This examination will evaluate the relevance, level, recency, progression and quality of candidate's education, training and experience. The candidate's application or other materials will not be included in this examination. Therefore, the candidate's responses to the supplemental questionnaire should be thorough, detailed and complete. The score from the Formula Rate Examination will determine the ranking on the eligible/employment list for this job.

All candidates competing in the testing process will receive written notice of their examination results by email. Notices can also be accessed in their governmentjobs.com inbox. Applicants achieving a passing score will be placed on the eligible list in rank order. The rank is determined by the test score attained from the examination.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Click here for Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

For information regarding County jobs:

www.saccountyjobs.net

Sacramento County is about enriching communities to thrive. We strive to create inclusive workplaces that reflect the communities we serve. We value and celebrate the unique perspectives, backgrounds, abilities, and diverse dimensions of our employees and residents. Through transparency, courage, innovation, and trust we are committed to advance equity and transformational change.

We are a proud equal opportunity employer. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability for any phase of the hiring process, please contact our Disability Compliance Office at [email protected] or 916-874-7642, CA Relay 711. For more information, visit: Reasonable Accommodation Requests - Job Applicant Instructions

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS

At Sacramento County, we strive to provide benefit programs designed to meet our employees’ current and future needs and help them as they balance their careers and personal life. County of Sacramento employees have a variety of benefits available. These benefits include:

• Dental Insurance
• Vision Benefits
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• Health Insurance
• Health Savings Account (HSA)
• Life Insurance
• Critical Illness
• Retiree Health Savings Plan (RHSP)
• Deferred Compensation

More information can be found on the Benefits website

TEMPORARY POSITIONS:
Most benefits do not apply to temporary positions.

VACATION:
Generally, vacation with pay begins at 10 days annually. With increase over a period of years, the maximum annual vacation with pay is 25 days.

HOLIDAYS:
14.5 holidays per year as recognized by the Board of Supervisors.

SICK LEAVE:
Equivalent to 15 days annually, unlimited accumulation.

TUITION REIMBURSEMENT:
Regular County employees may be eligible to receive Tuition Reimbursement. The costs for course tuition/registration fees and required books/supplies may be eligible for reimbursement. Tuition reimbursement amounts may vary depending upon union agreement.

RETIREMENT:
The County’s defined-benefit pension plan is provided by the County Employees’ Retirement Law of 1937 and is managed by the Sacramento County Employees' Retirement System (SCERS) Board of Retirement. For more information, visit the SCERS website, http://www.scers.org

DENTAL INSURANCE:
For more information, visit the Benefits website

LIFE INSURANCE:
The County of Sacramento provides a basic life insurance benefit to all eligible employees at no cost. Additional coverage may be purchased through payroll deduction.

For more information, visit the Benefits website

DEFERRED COMPENSATION:
A deferred compensation program is available through the County 457(b) Deferred Compensation Plan. For more information, visit the Benefits website

EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM:
The County of Sacramento provides an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for employees and their eligible dependents. The EAP offers confidential, professional counseling services in areas such as:

• Legal Advice/Difficult Decisions
• Marriage or Family Relationships
• Financial or Credit Worries/Elder Care
• Alcohol and Drug Abuse

More information can be found on the Benefits website

WELLNESS INCENTIVE PROGRAM:
The County will recognize and award time off to eligible employees who maintain an excellent attendance record.

FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNT:
The County offers regular employees two separate Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA's). These accounts allow employees to set money aside, on a pre-tax basis via payroll deduction, to pay for medical, dental or dependent care expenses.

DEPENDENT CARE REIMBURSEMENT ACCOUNT:
Employees may set aside pre-tax dollars to pay for qualified childcare or dependent care expenses that are necessary for the employee and/or spouse to continue working.

MEDICAL REIMBURSEMENT ACCOUNT:
The Medical Reimbursement Account allows pre-tax dollars to be set aside to pay for out-of-pocket expenses that are not paid by insurance or reimbursed by any other benefit plan.

WORKERS' COMPENSATION:
In case of injury while on the job, each employee is protected under the Workers' Compensation laws of California.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT OUR FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: FAQs

VETERAN'S PREFERENCE:
Military veterans who have served during wartime shall be given preference in initial appointment to County service. Such preference shall apply, provided the veteran has first achieved a minimum passing score in the examination. The passing score of a veteran shall be annotated to indicate the veteran's score shall be regarded as 5 points or higher, OR 10 points higher for disabled veterans, only for the purpose of determining the three ranks along with which the veteran's name shall be certified. No score shall actually be changed and no new rank shall be created as a result of application of veteran's preference for certification purposes.

"Disabled Veteran" means any veteran who has served during wartime and, who, as of the final filing date for an examination is declared by the United States Veterans Administration or military service department to be 10% or more disabled as a result of his/her military service. Persons claiming eligibility for disabled veteran's preference must submit to the employment office, on or before the application deadline date, a certification from the United States Veterans Administration or a military service department, dated within 1 year, which certifies the present existence of a service related disability of 10% or more, or other acceptable proof of such disability as a result of his/her military service.
Persons claiming eligibility for veterans preference must submit a copy of Form DD 214 or other acceptable proof of veteran's status on or before the final filing date for the examination. For purpose of this rule "reserve" status does not constitute active duty.

SPECIAL SKILL QUALIFICATIONS (WHEN SPECIFIED ON THE JOB ANNOUNCEMENT):
Persons who have special skills required by some (but not all) positions in a class may be certified ahead of others provided that:
Such special skills are based on the duties and requirements of the positions and are in conformance with merit system and equal opportunity principles, and
The certification of eligibles who possess special skills have been approved by the Civil Service Commission.

Closing Date/Time: Continuous

Salary:

$53,828.64 - $59,340.96 Annually